Berkeley Issues Zika Advisory to Residents

BERKELEY, CA — Berkeley's Health Officer, Dr. Janet Berreman, stands with health officers around the region in an effort to get ahead of localized Zika outbreaks. She is advising pregnant women, those considering pregnancy and their partners to delay travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission. As of Monday, that includes parts of Florida. "Pregnant women or those considering pregnancy should use the CDC's travel advisories to think carefully about summer travel," said Berreman. Check this link for the latest travel advisories.

According to information compiled by the City of Berkeley, "Zika virus has been determined to be a cause of microcephaly, a birth defect in which the baby is born with a smaller-than-normal head often with abnormal brain development. Babies with microcephaly can have a range of health and developmental problems, including seizures, developmental delay, intellectual disability, problems with movement and balance, feeding problems, and hearing loss as well as vision problems. These health challenges can range from mild to severe and often last throughout the child's entire life. In some cases, they can be life-threatening. The full impact of Zika Virus infection on the unborn child and subsequent infant development is not yet know."

At least 13 infants have been born with birth defects in the continental U.S. to women who've had Zika, while another 6 women had fetuses with birth defects that resulted in miscarriages, stillbirths or did not survive. The 114 cases of Zika in California include 21 pregnant women, as of July 29.

More than 1,600 reported cases of Zika have been reported in the United States as of July 27. Florida is the first state reporting cases that were locally transmitted by mosquitoes.

Who to call for mosquito problems

If you have concerns about mosquito bites, breeding or standing water, contact the Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District. You can file requests online or by calling 510-783-7744. All mosquitoes require standing water to breed so drain or cover any standing water on your property to reduce the chance of mosquitoes breeding at your home.

— Image by Takako Tabata, UC San Francisco